We were three sisters at home — a regular menace for our mom and dad. We used to stay in Bandra, Mumbai.

I studied in a co-educational school. Like any other child, the first thing I would do on reaching home was to toss my shoes and bag and run down to play. I played galli cricket, but my real passion was dancing. Once a neighbour taught me the basic dance steps, I even used to walk like that. I would start dancing on the way to the market, embarrassing my father no end. My parents encouraged me to learn dance to release all the pent-up energy inside me. From Class II to Class IX, I learnt kathhak. After that, my parents thought that the lessons were hampering my studies.

I was never into studies. I only started studying a month before exams. I know that I would have loved studying languages and history, but as I was good at chemistry and biology, my parents wanted me to become a doctor. I had to make them understand that I could not stand the sight of blood. So, I graduated with chemistry and went on to study law. I am also a trained scuba diver and yoga instructor. I have gone on to learn other kinds of dance — seven grades of tap, Latin-American, jazz and ballet. In fact, I am still learning kathhak and Latin-American dance.

My parents were strict but once they realised acting was what I wanted to do, they supported me. These days, we put too much importance on getting good marks in examinations. This means that children are losing their innocence faster. Not all children can be toppers. It is for the parents to find out what their child is good at. But one should study at least till the graduation level as it improves one’s reasoning skills.